Generally, agricultural seed planting units are towed behind a tractor or other work vehicle via a mounting bracket secured to a rigid frame of an agricultural implement, such as a planter or seeder. These seed planting units typically include a ground engaging tool or opener that forms a seed planting path for seed deposition into the soil. Specifically, the opener is used to break the soil to enable seed deposition. After the seed is deposited, the opener is followed by a packer wheel that packs the soil on top of the deposited seed. The packer wheel also serves to adjust the penetration depth of the opener within the soil. In certain configurations, the penetration depth of the opener is adjustable by varying a vertical position of the packer wheel relative to the opener.
In typical configurations, the packer wheel is pivotally coupled to a packer support structure by a packer arm. Rotation of the packer arm relative to the packer support structure varies the vertical position of the packer wheel, thereby, in turn, adjusting the penetration depth of the opener. In certain configurations, the packer arm includes a series of openings configured to receive a fastener. The openings are positioned such that the angle of the packer arm relative to the packer support structure may be varied by securing the fastener to a particular opening. However, removing the fastener from one opening, rotating the packer arm relative to the packer support structure, and securing the fastener within another opening is a time consuming process. Furthermore, certain agricultural implements have multiple seed planting units, and therefore have multiple openers (e.g., greater than 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, or more). Because the openers are typically configured to maintain the same penetration depth setting, the duration of the depth adjustment process is multiplied by the number of openers coupled to the implement. Consequently, reconfiguration of the implement for a different penetration depth setting may result in large delays in seeding operations, thereby decreasing seeding efficiency.
Accordingly, an improved depth adjustment assembly for use within an agricultural implement that allows for more efficient reconfiguration of the depth settings of the implement's openers would be welcomed in the technology.